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I was spiralling down a black hole and couldn’t see a way out. I just lay in my bed thinking would this ever stop. After getting help and meeting the Early Intervention Team things started to improve, I started to see the light. I’ve come so far, my whole perception on life has changed, I really am a lot happier and more confident.

Early Intervention in Psychosis is an approach focused upon supporting and treating those people experiencing symptoms of psychosis for the first time; most commonly occurring in the late teens to early years of adulthood. CWP Early Intervention Team is part of a new prevention and recovery model of mental health services, providing interventions that successfully span this critical period of change from childhood to adulthood.

The approach we use is similar to that seen in many physical health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes; where support and treatment starts earlier on in the course of an illness, reducing the chances of longer-term effects. It can help to think about it working in the same way as heart disease, where the symptoms of mild chest pain would be treated, rather than waiting for a heart attack to happen. By providing individualised specialist treatments early on, the long-term effects can be minimised or avoided entirely, so that the service user can enjoy a healthy and fulfilling life.

At the Early Intervention Team, we set a target of trying to keep the timescale of untreated psychosis to less than 3 months. Though it’s important to remember that it is never too late to ask for help, even if you have experienced symptoms for years without any support or diagnosis. As a rule of thumb however the sooner you get help the better.

Getting help early is what the Early Intervention approach is all about. If psychotic symptoms are treated early on it can reduce the disruption to a person’s life and improve their chances of a quick and lasting recovery.- EIT Worker